When I got the alert that Spoon were playing at Kings Theater, like a typical fan-boy I got super excited, as they are possibly Max's fave band, and certainly in my top 5.
However, before clicking through the link to "buy tickets," I remembered being stung with my ticket purchases for TVOTR. So this time I thought I'd try and see if I could go the "industry route.” I googled Spoon's booking agent, and it turned out to be an old nightlife friend, Sam Kirby. Having not seen or spoken to her for over ten years, I thought it somewhat cheeky to be writing asking if she could sort my son and I out for tickets, so I didn't really expect a reply.
Within minutes of sending, she'd responded saying that when it's a family deal, she's always happy to help!
I felt like Seinfeld, with his Even Steven theory.
Come the night of the show, Sam greeted us at the door with wristbands to get us into the pit at the front of the stage. By halfway through the totally mesmerizing show, we had moved up to where we now literally had four people between us and the stage.
Spoon are an anomaly. I'm not sure there has ever been another band that's released nine albums over 20 years, and their most recent is their best!
The set included every song that Max & I love, as well as an awesome rendition the The Cramps "TV Set" We even got to hear a new song. (see iPhone shot video below)
After the eight encores Max simply complained that his legs hurt from dancing and he was going to lose his voice from shouting.
When Songkick sent me an alert that TV On The Radio was playing at the newly renovated Kings Theater on Flatbush Ave, I immediately clicked the link for "Buy Tickets." I chose "Best available" because I wanted to do something really cool for my son Max, since he's been dealing insane amounts of homework lately, and is determined to do well. I got 2nd row, dead center! But when checking out, the price with fees & tax, etc was just over $400 for 2 tickets! I naively just assumed that the crazy price must mean the show was a benefit or charity fundraiser. Not so. I was suckered by a secondary seller. It was still well worth every penny to see one of my fave bands in this historic venue, but mostly to see Max's smiling face singing along to the band.
IPhone clip here.
Possibly the most fun I've had looking at art in a gallery recently is a section within Mark Mulroney's new show entitled Yellow Bikini.
The section is question focuses on a subject dear to my still childlike heart, Batman. Mulroney uses the Dark Knight as his muse in times when the creative flow is not so forthcoming.
There are also many other wonderful, if not twisted works, on non-Batman related subjects, from sculptures, & canvases, to album covers. The show is at Mixed Greens on 26th St & runs till June, don't sleep!
First art I've able to take in for a bit & greatly needed. Nigerian-British artist Yinka Shonibare MBE rocks James Cohan Gallery, with his new show entitled Rage of the Ballet Gods. On from April 30 – June 20. Only a couple of images here, get down there & check it out! 533 West 26th St.
The back gallery space also had some wicked Trenton Doyle Hancock works.
In parts this mixtape is a little more experimental than I normally go. Weird but cool stuff from friends & strangers.
To listen click HERE.
I couldn’t believe how many people braved the blizzard-like snow to be at the opening day of the INDEPENDENT show in the former DIA center.
I was impressed that there were that many lovers of art, but annoyed that the coat check would not take any more items by the time I got to the front of the line.
For me the INDEPENDENT is the best & worst of contemporary art. It’s split between the type of art (& people) that are the easiest for “normal” folk to make fun of. Bits of found junk & rubbish piled up in some meaningful way. Or the ”my kid can paint better than that!” aesthetic. It also has incredibly beautiful, weird, or funny works that breathe life into my soul & make me feel better about humanity. Below are just some of those.
Silke Otto-Knapp
Dirk Bell (found paintings that he paints on to)
Adriana Minoliti
Jeanette Mundt
Anne Deleporte (these last two are actually at the Pulse fair)
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Katsutoshi Yuasa (oil based woodcut print on paper)
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I've not been able to see many exhibitions recently, so I was really hungering for some "ART" and wandering into this show was just what I was craving! I’m lucky because the gallery is located in our office building, so I get to spend plenty of time absorbing shows, with easy return visits.
PETER BUECHLER at Masters Projects is an exhibition of Found Objects from auctions, antique shops, estate sales, flea markets and garage sales, worked on by the German artist. Its his first exhibition in the U.S.
Below are just a few of the works I love, all with the digitized identity theme., and look even better in person since they are framed so well, feeling more like three dimensional objects rather than simply paintings.
The show is up till Mach 14th. Don't sleep..
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Dreaming of valve amps since I was about 15 years old, I've finally built the hifi of my dreams, and now I’m on on a serious vinyl buying jag. I found these two amazing albums on eBay for $10 each.
Whats strange about them, is that they have no label or barcode & don’t even show up on Massive Attack’s Discogs page.
Maybe it was just too much of a litigious nightmare to get clearances for all the major label artists like U2, Peter Gabriel & Madonna etc, so somebody just went underground & created them for fans like myself, and as long as 3D & Daddy G are cool with it, god bless whoever pressed them up!
What I didn’t expect was that when these remixes are collected together, the compilation albums almost sound like an older Massive Attack album, simply with celebrity guest vocalists.
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They look pretty tasty too.
